


Cultural Exchange

by AriWrote



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Bribery, Fluff, I believe, M/M, No Spoilers, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation, Suggestive Themes, This could arguably take place in the Soulmate AU, mild as it is, that's the only way to get them to do anything, the bribery is because when you have two stubborn individuals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-13
Updated: 2016-06-13
Packaged: 2018-07-14 20:28:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7188947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AriWrote/pseuds/AriWrote
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryoma decides that he wants to share some of Hoshidan's finest foods with Xander. Too bad Xander is the pickiest eater he's ever met.</p><p>Later, Xander tries to teach Ryoma his mother tongue. He may not have the best of intentions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 “Xander, I swear, it won’t kill you,” Ryoma said, annoyance clear in his voice. They’d been at this for what felt like hours. Ryoma desperately tried to convince Xander to eat one of the many Hoshidan dishes he’d set up for the meeting, and Xander responded by stubbornly shaking his head. He’d even surrendered by skipping straight to the desert, in hopes that maybe it’d be better received.

Xander glared at the gelatinous object in front of him, “Are you certain? I’ve been told that many times and at least three times they have been decidedly wrong.”

“I’ve eaten it all my life and I’m still alive, aren’t I?” He wasn’t even going to touch on how if they really had been wrong, Xander wouldn’t have been sitting before him.

“You,” Xander mumbled, “are considerably heartier than I.”

Maybe Ryoma would have taken pride in that comment if he weren’t so frustrated with Xander at the moment. Instead he threw down his chopsticks, pushed the dish away, and let his head connect with the table. He’d thought this would be romantic. Not only could Ryoma share some of his favorite foods with Xander, but they’d finally get a chance to be alone. They hadn’t gotten any alone time since the war ended. Everything had been peace treaties and trade agreements. An advisor was always there, like an escort determined to prevent anything that even veered too close to romantic.

He really should have realized what that look on Camilla’s face had meant when he’d first told her his plan. How he hadn’t gotten it after she’d burst into uncomfortable laughter was a mystery.

“You are the pickiest person I’ve ever met,” Ryoma grumbled, mostly at the table. He ran a hand through his hair and looked up at Xander. “Even Takumi wasn’t this bad and Gods know he was a terror as a child.”

“I… happen to have quite a number of allergies. It’s only reasonable I’m hesitant to try strange food you’ve put in front of me,” Xander said. He bit his bottom lip and glanced between the manjū and Ryoma. If he was hoping that looking coy would somehow get him out of this, he was gravely mistaken.

Ryoma slammed his palms against the table and leaned closer, “Don’t pull that with me. I asked Camilla, your retainers, even the maids. I made sure that nothing here could possibly cause a reaction. Try again.”

His mouth fell open and his eyes went wide, “Y-you asked Camilla?”

“Yes, and I think it’s only fair you reward my determination to make this dinner perfect by actually trying something.” He was being petty, he’d acquiesce to that, but Gods so was Xander. Ryoma couldn’t always be the bigger person in the relationship. (No matter that he almost never was, physically or metaphorically.)

Xander closed his eyes and inhaled. His response was sharp when it finally came, “Fine. I guess I can try something.”

Ryoma’s grin grew wide. Finally, things were going right. He took in all the assorted dishes before him. He had to pick the perfect thing, something that would prove to Xander that Ryoma had wonderful taste in food.

Xander chuckled as he watched Ryoma go between five different dishes until he finally settled on one. Much like most of the desserts spread across the table, it seemed to be some type of jelly. That didn’t bode well. “What is it it?”

“Hakuto jelly; it’s made from peaches. It’s pretty good. I’ve heard this year’s harvest was the best one yet,” Ryoma proffered one of the cubes to Xander, who hesitated for a moment before accepting it. “I was going to offer you yuzushu, since it’s one of my personal favorites, but something tells me skipping straight to alcohol isn’t the best idea.”

“I know a few people who’d disagree,” Xander hummed, focused more on the jelly than the conversation. “It’s… not bad.”

Ryoma grinned and leaned closer towards Xander. He had enough self-restraint not to outright gloat, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to allow himself to celebrate at all. He deserved a reward for not giving up on the stubborn mule that was Xander. The look of shock on Xander’s face as he pulled him into a kiss would have to do.

(He was pleasantly surprised to find that the rumors were indeed true. This year’s peach harvest was the best.)

“I  wasn’t aware I was getting a kiss in return for trying food. I made have been more willing if I’d known,” Xander said once Ryoma pulled away. The smile on Ryoma’s face had managed to transfer to Xander’s at some point.

“If it’ll get you to stop being so stubborn,” Ryoma said, his voice dropping into something conspiratorial, “you’ll have a lot more on the way.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is much shorter than the previous chapter.

From somewhere in the distance, Xander heard the sound of a leather-bound book being thrown to the ground. Xander might have been concerned if not for the fact he knew exactly who made that noise. He made no effort to hide the self-satisfied grin as he peaked around the corner. There Ryoma was, leaned back in the comfiest chair in the library, glaring down at the book titled, _Children’s Guide to Basic Nohrian_. “Given up yet?”

Ryoma paused in his attempt at searing holes into the cover of the book to look up at the Nohrian prince, “Xander, I love you and respect your nation, but you must admit that the Nohrian alphabet is the most asinine thing to ever come in to being.”

“That doesn’t sound very respectful,” Xander said, chuckling despite himself. Realizing he probably wouldn’t get much reading done now that Ryoma was not longer willing to play along; he shelved the book and made his way over to the seating area. He ignored Ryoma’s half-joking suggestion of joining him on the chair and plopped down on the sofa. It wasn’t the most dignified way of sitting, but the only witness was Ryoma who’d definitely seen him do worse. “Weren’t you the one who was boasting on how important it is to familiarize ourselves with each other cultures? I tried Hoshidan cuisine; you learn Nohrian.”

Ryoma didn’t look impressed, “Learning a new language is absolutely different from a nice dinner date. A dinner date is romantic. This is your ill-concealed attempt at torturing me for trying to expand your rather limited palate. I see nothing romantic in this.”

“Is that so?” Xander said, his lips curling into a mischievous smirk. It was a wonderful look on Xander that Ryoma was unable to appreciate given how it made him fear for his life. “Well, I’ll admit it’s difficult to learn a language in such a short amount of time, especially on your own. So I won’t ask either of you.”

Ryoma let out a sigh of relief. Finally they could move on to something else. He wasn’t in the mood to spend his entire time in Nohr trying to learn its language. He was perfectly fine knowing only Common and Hohsidan. “That’s wond-”

Xander cut him off, clearly not done with whatever he’d been saying, “Which is why I’ll help you. If you can manage to cooperate, I’ll reward you for your good behavior.”

Ryoma sat up a little straighter, “May I ask what this ‘reward’ is?”

“I guess you’ll just have to see, won’t you?” Xander hummed and stood up from the couch to pick up the discarded language book. The look still on his face, which had surpassed mischievous and could now only be described as devilish, said enough that Xander didn’t need to say anything. Ryoma only faintly registered the book being pressed against his chest and the sight of Xander leaning over him, “Til then, you’ve got some reading to do.”


End file.
